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As a possible heat wave descends upon the Tri-State, state officials urge individuals to take extra precaution as temperatures rise. The weekly forecast calls for high temps throughout the week and cooling centers and public pools are open for cooling you down 🥶
For a list of centers around the five boroughs, call 311 or go online to nyc.gov/beattheheat. According to the Official Website of the City of New York, sites where cooling centers are located include: Libraries, Community Centers, Senior Centers and NYCHA facilities.
Ways to do your part during the heat waves:
- Check on your neighbors during a heat wave, especially if they are seniors, young children, and people with disabilities and access and functional needs. Keep in touch by phone at least twice a day during heat waves. Avoid in-person visits to protect your health and the health of others.
- Seniors and others who may be sensitive to extreme heat should contact friends, neighbors, or relatives at least twice a day during a heat wave.
- Never leave children, pets, or those who require special care in a parked car during periods of intense summer heat.
- Heat illness is serious. Prolonged exposure to the heat can be harmful and potentially fatal. Call 911 if you or someone you know shows signs or symptoms of heat illness, including headache, light headedness, muscle cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Learn more about heat illness and heat waves from the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene.
- New Yorkers can beat the heat by obtaining a spray cap from their local firehouse. Applicants must be 18 years or older and complete a form to obtain a hydrant cap. The improper opening of fire hydrants wastes 1,000 gallons of water per minute, causes flooding on City streets, and can lower water pressure to dangerous levels and hamper the ability of FDNY to fight fire safely and quickly. Learn more from FDNY.
In New York City, most heat-related deaths occur after exposure to heat in homes without air conditioners. Air conditioning is the best way to stay safe and healthy when it is hot outside, but some vulnerable people do not have an air conditioner or do not turn it on when they need it. Encourage them to use air conditioning. Help them get to an air-conditioned place if they cannot stay cool at home. Make sure they are drinking enough water.
If you do not have an air conditioner, you may qualify for energy assistance. Visit the Human Resource Administration online for information about the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).